Sena SMH10

[cool4kats]

Just installed a Sena SMH10. A couple of the guys I ride with have them and love em. It will be fun to talk to the guys I am riding with, answer phone calls and listen to music.

[diavolo]

After you've gotten some miles under your belt with the headset, let us know how it works, range, durability, etc. I have been using the Scala units (Rider and Rider V2) for several years, and they have held up pretty well, but flake out after being subjected to a good downpour. I'd be curious to see how the Sena fairs in terms of stamina (the Scala's worked for a full 8 hours of music/phone before shutting down).

[Purplehaze]

I've had a SMH-10 mounted to my helmet for a full year now - absoloutly no complaints. The SENA actually has very impressive range, no problem for regular group riding or if you get split up by a stop-light or line of cars. On a clearer road like an interstate highway, one of my friends was about 3/4 of a mile back and it wasn't an issue. At about a mile we started to experience static, but it only became indecipherable at about 1 1/4 miles. No issues in weather or temperature - I've used this at 14 degrees no problem.

SENA Technologies states it can stand for 12 hours of continuous talk-time/music playback, and they're not exaggerating. I've found myself forgetting to charge it for a week during my normal morning commutes or quick-outings with friends and it hasn't let me down.

My only real complaint is monitoring of battery level is completely useless to the point of guess-work. The 'Low Battery' voiceover happens moments before the unit will shut off. There's also no 'Battery at 50%' or other voiceovers.

The biggest thing that I enjoy about the SMH-10 is the clarity though. I can take a phone call and no one is the wiser that I'm actually riding - even on the highway.

I'll never have a helmet without a SENA or similar mounted on it in the future.

[MNkat]

Very good info. Thanks PurpleHaze.

[diavolo]

Appreciate the update Purplehaze - one question though - do the Sena units allow charging on the go? That is the one drawback on the Scala's - you cannot charge/use them simultaneously.

[shpielers]

Appreciate the update Purplehaze - one question though - do the Sena units allow charging on the go? That is the one drawback on the Scala's - you cannot charge/use them simultaneously.

Yeah I'm bummed about that too, wasn't aware if it when i bought my Scala.

[cool4kats]

Yes. The Sena can be plugged in while going. I don't know that I would though. I would probably just stick it in the tank bag while I had it charging to keep from running the cord up to the side of my helmet. Get to try mine for the first time this afternoon.

[elsueco]

I've had the Sena SMH10R for about a year now and am very happy with it. Range of the intercom is about 1/4 mile which is impressive. I don't know how Bluetooth would be capable of 1.25 miles.

Like Purplehaze said, call quality is phenomenal considering all the noise of riding. People I call say that it sounds a little muffled, but they can't hear the engine or wind at all.

I bought a cord that lets me use earbuds instead of the provided helmet speakers. I prefer them as they block out a good amount of engine noise and provide high quality audio. I don't like the idea of using the in-helmet speakers and turning the volume up to 11 to be able to hear them over the engine and wind noise. The sound is pretty good on the speakers though.

That said, my friend who bought one at the same time as I did does not like using earbuds. He thought the stock speakers were decent, but ended up upgrading to better speakers.

As for battery life, I've only run out of juice maybe twice. I want to say it was after between 6-8 hours of use. I'm in the habit of plugging the helmet into the bike to charge when I stop to rest on longer trips. The SMH10R has a removable battery pack stuck to the helmet with velcro, so you could always carry a spare.

The SMH10R has greatly enhanced my riding comfort. Being able to talk to your riding partner without signaling, pulling over and shouting at one another is a big plus too.

[RatKat750]

I'm an aborist in Bloomington, IN when I'm not katriding. We've been using the smh10 system in our safety helmets for about 6 months and there are only two negative things I can say about them. Once you start pairing 4 or more units into a "conference" it gets really tricky. Somebody might accidentally bump off and then the whole system goes down (you have to daisy chain the units together because no unit can be paired with more than two other units) or you've botched the whol setup from the beginning and you have to start all over anyway.... That being said 3 or less people using them together is trouble free. Other than that, if you want to sync your phone for music or making calls with the system, you have to sacrifice your pairing with another unit (reducing your capacity for open chat with you buddies). However, once you've gotten everything setup the way you want it, it's amazingly powerful. We've been able to use them effectively in the range of 900-1100 meters with the signal only just becoming a little choppy after 1km. The battery life will last up to 12 hours easily of continuous use. The stock speakers are absolutely fine for listening to music unless your an audio aficionado (like myself) and upgrading the speakers is a simple task. I'm going to be getting a few more sets to use on bike tours when I go with friends because of how satisfied I've become using them in the tree industry. And by the way, you can absolutely charge them while using the system although, this is not the best idea for battery longevity. And really at 12+ hours of life expectancy, just remember to charge them at the end of the day. As comfy as our bikes may be, I doubt any of us would want to sit on them for 12 hours straight. If you've got the coin and you want an excellent intercom system for riding with friends or for your own enjoyment, I highly recommend the SMH10.

RATKAT750

[cool4kats]

Got to use the SMH10-11 today and it was a blast! Three of us riding around. I usually lead rides and often need to stop to check how everyone is doing. Today we ended up just exploring. One road we were going to take was closed. It was great to just ask the guys what they wanted to do without stopping!

[fury8793]

This is awesome guys! I've been looking into using these headsets, buying the audio pack and using the Sena for my Motovlogs and you guys have given me the confidence to follow through on it!

Great reviews and consumer insight, I appreciate posts like this.

[FireKit]

I've been using my smh10 for four years. it's a solid unit, performs flawlessly in rain, charges on the go, and connects easily to Bluetooth. one downside, cannot talk and listen to music at the same time.

[IanDMacDonald]

I've been using my smh10 for four years. it's a solid unit, performs flawlessly in rain, charges on the go, and connects easily to Bluetooth. one downside, cannot talk and listen to music at the same time.

I bought the 20S in the Spring. Not impressed with the speakers unless they're defective, so I plug my earbuds into it. FM radio reception on it sucks. Never used it as an intercom. Just to connect to my phone and GPS.